Rates Of Decline In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease Higher For Women

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Rates Of Decline In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease Higher For Women

The rates of regional brain loss and cognitive decline caused by aging and the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are higher for women and for people with a key genetic risk factor for AD, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a study published online in the American Journal of Neuroradiology.

The linkage between APOE e4 - which codes for a protein involved in binding lipids or fats in the lymphatic and circulatory systems - was already documented as the strongest known genetic risk factor for sporadic AD, the most common form of the disease. But the connection between the sex of a person and AD has been less-well recognized, according to the UC San Diego scientists.

"APOE e4 has been known to lower the age of onset and increase the risk of getting the disease," said the study's first author Dominic Holland, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Previously we showed that the lower the age, the higher the rates of decline in AD. So it was important to examine the differential effects of age and APOE e4 on rates of decline, and to do this across the diagnostic spectrum for multiple clinical measures and brain regions, which had not been done before."

The scientists evaluated 688 men and women over the age of 65 participating in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a longitudinal, multi-institution study to track the progression of AD and its effects upon the structures and functions of the brain. They found that women with mild cognitive impairment (a condition precursory to AD diagnosis) experienced higher rates of cognitive decline than men; and that all women, regardless of whether or not they showed signs of dementia, experienced greater regional brain loss over time than did men. The magnitude of the sex effect was as large as that of the APOE e4 allele.

"Assuming larger population-based samples reflect the higher rates of decline for women than men, the question becomes what is so different about women," said Holland. Hormonal differences or change seems an obvious place to start, but Holland said this is largely unknown territory - at least regarding AD.

"Another important finding of this study is that men and women did not differ in the level of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease pathology," said co-author Linda McEvoy, PhD, an associate professor in the UCSD Department of Radiology. "This suggests that brain volume loss in women may also be caused by factors other than Alzheimer's disease, or that in women, these pathologies are more toxic. We clearly need more research on how an individual's sex affects AD pathogenesis."

Holland acknowledged that the paper likely raises more questions than it answers. "There are many factors that may affect the sex differences we observed, such as whether the women in this study may have had higher rates of diabetes or insulin resistance than the men. We also do not know how the use of hormone replacement therapy, reproductive history or years since menopause may have affected these differences. All these issues need to be examined. There is no prevailing theory."

But he said that just as APOE e4 status identifies individuals at greater risk of AD, the sex of a person might prove an important determinant in future treatment as well. Currently, there is no cure for AD or any existing therapies that slow or stop disease progression.

"The biggest impact might be down the road when disease-modifying therapies become available," said Holland. "What works best for men might not work best for women. The same may be true for e4 carriers versus non-carriers."

He added that results also feed back into clinical trial design. The sex-makeup of the sample will affect the rates of decline for both natural progression (the placebo component) and, likely, the degree of disease modification in participants receiving therapy. So a sex-based sub-analysis might be appropriate.

"Additionally, in clinical practice it may be important to expect higher rates of decline for women patients, to help anticipate when stages of decline that significantly alter quality of life would be reached."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our alzheimer's / dementia section for the latest news on this subject.

Co-authors include Rahul S. Desikan, Department of Radiology, and Anders M. Dale, Departments of Radiology and Neurosciences, UC San Diego.

This research was funded, in part, by National Institutes of Health grants R01AG031224, R01AG22381, U54NS056883, P50NS22343 and P50MH081755; National Institute on Aging grant K01AG029218; and NIH-National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering grant T32 EB005970.

University of California - San Diego

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of California - San Diego. "Rates Of Decline In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease Higher For Women." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Rates Of Decline In Aging And Alzheimer's Disease Higher For Women'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Research Into Special Degradable Particles To Reduce Tooth Decay Wins Venture Prize Award - Could Bring Toothache Relief To Millions

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Research Into Special Degradable Particles To Reduce Tooth Decay Wins Venture Prize Award - Could Bring Toothache Relief To Millions

Researchers have developed new degradable particles, about the same size as small holes in teeth, which are designed to enter these holes and physically block and repair decayed teeth.

These particles are special glasses and can be incorporated into toothpaste and will dissolve in the mouth releasing calcium and phosphate that form tooth mineral. This reduces tooth pain, cuts back on the incidences of tooth decay and repairs teeth.

This could bring relief to the estimated 20 million adults in UK (40 per cent of the UK adult population) who are prone to tooth sensitivity. Indeed, untreated tooth decay or cavities in permanent teeth is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries assessed in the latest Global Burden of Diseases study. It affects 35 per cent of the world's population.

The team behind this development, led by Professor Robert Hill from Queen Mary, University of London have won the £25,000 materials science Venture Prize, awarded by the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers.

"These new particles dissolve faster than existing ones and are also softer than tooth enamel," said Professor Hill. "They have a more expanded open structure and this allows water to go into the glass structure faster and the calcium and phosphate ions to come out faster. Also, while existing particles are significantly harder and abrade away the enamel during brushing, our new particles will be softer."

Tooth pain is associated with hot, cold or mechanical stimulation and is caused by fluid flow within small tubes located within the tooth. These tubes can become exposed as a result of the gums receding, hence the expression "long in the tooth" or through the loss of the outer enamel coating as a result of tooth decay, acid erosion or mechanical wear associated with tooth brushing. These new bioactive particles can also re-mineralise the holes via the release of calcium and phosphate ions.

"This is a hugely exciting development which could benefit millions of people not only throughout the UK and Europe but right across the world," said Professor Bill Bonfield, chairman of the Armourers & Brasiers Venture Prize judging panel. "It meets our aim to encourage innovative scientific entrepreneurship in the UK and provide funding, which is often difficult to source, to bring new materials science research like this to market."

In addition to Professor Hill, who is head of dental physical sciences at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary. The team comprises: Dr David Gillam clinical lecturer and dentist, Dr Natalia Karpukhina an expert on bioactive glasses and Dr Pushkar Wadke from Queen Mary Innovations.

"This award will enable us to get our research from the laboratory into a prototype toothpaste, said Professor Hill. "The difficult step is getting money to enable the translation of research in the laboratory into commercial products. This is what the Venture Prize Award will enable us to do."

This development has come at an appropriate time. The latest Global Industry Analysts report outlined that the total world market for toothpaste is forecast to reach US$12.6 billion (£8.1billion) by the year 2015. This increase it outlines will be led by product innovations, rising population levels and greater awareness about oral hygiene.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our dentistry section for the latest news on this subject.

Alongside Professor Bonfield on the judging panel were Cambridge based materials scientist Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, representatives from First Ventures which invests and advises high potential technology companies and Members of the Armourers & Brasiers Company.

The Armourers & Brasiers Company

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

The Armourers & Brasiers Company. "Research Into Special Degradable Particles To Reduce Tooth Decay Wins Venture Prize Award - Could Bring Toothache Relief To Millions." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA
The Armourers & Brasiers Company. (2013, July 12). "Research Into Special Degradable Particles To Reduce Tooth Decay Wins Venture Prize Award - Could Bring Toothache Relief To Millions." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/263250.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Research Into Special Degradable Particles To Reduce Tooth Decay Wins Venture Prize Award - Could Bring Toothache Relief To Millions'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Smoking Combined With Heavy Drinking Speeds Up Cognitive Decline

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Smoking Combined With Heavy Drinking Speeds Up Cognitive Decline

The combination of smoking and heavy drinking speeds up cognitive decline, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Researchers from UCL (University College London) found that smokers who drank alcohol heavily had a 36% faster cognitive decline compared to non-smoking moderate drinkers.

Smoking and heavier alcohol consumption often co-occur, and their combined effect on cognition may be larger than the sum of their individual effects. The research team assessed 6,473 adults (4,635 men and 1,838 women) aged between 45 and 69 years old over a 10-year period. The adults were part of the Whitehall II cohort study of British civil servants.

All the participants were asked about their cigarette and alcohol consumption, and their cognitive function (including verbal and mathematical reasoning, short-term verbal memory and verbal fluency) was then assessed three times over 10 years.

The research team found that in current smokers who were also heavy drinkers, cognitive decline was 36% faster than in non-smoking moderate drinkers. This was equivalent to an age effect of 12 years - an additional two years over the 10-year follow up period. Among smokers, cognitive decline was found to be faster as the number of alcohol units consumed increased.

Lead researcher Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson said: "Our research shows that cognitive decline was 36% faster in those people who reported both cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol above the recommended limits (14 units per week for women, 21 units per week for men). When we looked at people who were heavy-drinking smokers, we found that for every 10 years that they aged their brains aged the equivalent of 12 years."

"From a public health perspective, the increasing burden associated with cognitive aging could be reduced if lifestyle factors can be modified, and we believe that people should not drink alcohol more heavily in the belief that alcohol is a protective factor against cognitive decline. Current advice is that smokers should stop or cut down, and people should avoid heavy alcohol drinking. Our study suggests that people should also be advised not to combine these two unhealthy behaviours - particularly from mid-life onwards. Healthy behaviours in midlife may prevent cognitive decline into early old age."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our smoking / quit smoking section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University College London. "Smoking Combined With Heavy Drinking Speeds Up Cognitive Decline." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Smoking Combined With Heavy Drinking Speeds Up Cognitive Decline'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Study Of Dogs With Microchimerism Should Improve Understanding Of Disease In Humans

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Study Of Dogs With Microchimerism Should Improve Understanding Of Disease In Humans

Some people possess a small number of cells in their bodies that are not genetically their own; this condition is known as microchimerism. It is difficult to determine potential health effects from this condition because of humans' relatively long life-spans. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that microchimerism can be found in dogs as well. Jeffrey Bryan, an associate professor of oncology at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and director of Comparative Oncology and Epigenetics Laboratory, says this discovery will help doctors determine what diseases humans with microchimerism may be more likely to develop during their lifetimes.

"Dogs have a much shorter lifespan than humans, which allows us, as researchers, to better monitor what diseases they may develop throughout their entire lives," Bryan said. "We already have some evidence that microchimerism may increase risk of thyroid disease while lowering the risk of breast cancer in women. Finding microchimerism in dogs allows us to track this condition over a lifespan of about 10 years, as opposed to the 70 or 80 years of a human life. This will make it much easier to determine any increased risk of or protection from other diseases brought on by microchimerism."

"Our study demonstrates that male microchimerism of probable fetal origin occurs in the pet dog population," said Sandra Axiak-Bechtel, an assistant professor of oncology at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. "Evidence exists in women that fetal microchimerism may have conflicting roles in disease formation. The pet dog represents an excellent model of many ailments in people, and the presence of fetal microchimerism in dogs will allow studies which further clarify its role in health and disease."

Microchimerism most often occurs when a mother gives birth to a child. Sometimes, cells from that child are left in the mothers' body and continue to live, despite being of a different genetic makeup than surrounding cells. Those cells can then be passed on to other children the mother may have later. Cells also can be passed on through blood transfusions as well as bone marrow and organ transplants.

In their study published in PLOS ONE, Bryan and Axiak-Bechtel, along with MU researchers Senthil Kumar, a co-investigator in this study and assistant research professor and assistant director of the Comparative Oncology and Epigenetics Laboratory, and Sara Hansen, a comparative medicine resident at MU, studied 90 golden retrievers and found that 36 percent of the dogs had microchimerism. Closer to 40 percent of female dogs that were at least eight years post-pregnancy had the condition.

Axiak-Bechtel, Bryan, and Kumar plan on continuing their research to follow the lifespans of dogs with microchimerism to determine to what diseases those dogs may be susceptible. Bryan and Kumar also received a new grant for more than $400,000 to study epigenetic biomarkers in dogs, which will ultimately enhance diagnosis and treatment of dogs with cancer.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of Missouri-Columbia. "Study Of Dogs With Microchimerism Should Improve Understanding Of Disease In Humans." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Study Of Dogs With Microchimerism Should Improve Understanding Of Disease In Humans'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

The Detrimental Effects Of Inflammation Due To Intestinal Bacteria On HIV Patients

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
The Detrimental Effects Of Inflammation Due To Intestinal Bacteria On HIV Patients

A new study of HIV infection by UC San Francisco researchers points to changes in intestinal bacteria as a possible explanation for why successfully treated HIV patients nonetheless prematurely experience life-shortening chronic diseases.

These changes in gut bacteria may perpetuate inflammation initially triggered by the body's immune response to HIV, according to the study, reported online in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

In recent years, such persistent inflammation has been proposed as a cause of the early onset of common chronic diseases found in HIV patients, who now can live for decades without immune system destruction and death due to infection, thanks to lifelong treatment with antiretroviral drugs. Likewise, in the general population, ongoing inflammation has been linked in some studies to chronic conditions such as heart disease, dementia and obesity.

Studies have shown that inflammation is induced by HIV in both treated and untreated patients, and is associated with - and possibly causes - disease in both, according to Joseph M. McCune, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Experimental Medicine at UCSF and a senior author of the study. McCune has been investigating the causes of chronic inflammation in HIV-infected patients and has treated patients with HIV for more than three decades.

"We want to understand what allows the virus to persist in patients who have HIV disease, even after treatment," he said. "In this study, we see that bacteria in the gut may play a role."

The study was initiated by Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin, a graduate student working in McCune's lab in collaboration with Susan Lynch, PhD, an associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at UCSF and an expert on the human microbiome, the collection of microbes the live in and on the human body. Researchers estimate that humans have about ten times as many bacterial cells as human cells, and earlier studies have demonstrated that some of the microbes found within the intestines are able to drive immune responses, Lynch said.

"We thought the gut microbiome might be different in HIV-infected individuals, and that the high degree of immune activation in the patients might be associated with and possibly due to the presence of specific members of the bacterial community," Lynch said.

Vujkovic-Cvijin identified bacterial species in biopsied patient samples by tracking a gene that is distinct among different bacterial species. Working with co-first author, Richard Dunham, PhD, a UCSF postdoctoral fellow, he also tracked markers of inflammation in the blood.

The researchers compared seven untreated HIV patients, including six with active infection and one long-term patient who never developed AIDS; 18 HIV patients in whom ongoing drug treatment had reduced HIV in the blood to undetectable levels; and nine uninfected individuals matched for other health risks. The patients are part of a group being monitored through ongoing UCSF research led by UCSF Steven Deeks, MD, and Jeffrey Martin, MD, MPH, at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

"We found that HIV-infected people have a very different gut microbiome than people who are uninfected," Vujkovic-Cvijin said. "In particular, infected people harbor more bacteria that can cause harmful inflammation, like Pseudomonas, Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus."

The degree to which normal bacterial communities in the colon were disrupted corresponded to the levels of an inflammatory molecule, IL-6, in the blood, and also to the production of an enzyme called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. The enzyme can impair the gut's ability to function as a barrier, thereby allowing bacteria and molecules produced by bacteria to enter the body to fuel even more inflammation. Species of bacteria that can mimic the action of this enzyme also were more abundant in HIV-infected participants, Vujkovic-Cvijin found.

The researchers do not believe that there is a single bacterial species responsible for disrupting the integrity of the gut nor do they propose a specific probiotic bacterial treatment to restore a healthy gut. Nonetheless, Lynch said, manipulating microbial populations is a promising idea.

"It appears that changes in the microbiome perpetuate a vicious cycle that drives inflammation in HIV-infected patients," she said. "We are considering a restoration ecology approach to restore appropriate microbial colonization patterns and healthy functioning of the gut microbiome."

McCune believes that inflammation may also play a role in maintaining the persistence of HIV, even in those with no circulating virus in the bloodstream. "Our dream is to be able to make the virus go away, allowing HIV-infected people to lead longer lives without the need for life-long therapy," he said. "Perhaps restoring the microbiome to normal will be one strategy to make that happen."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our hiv / aids section for the latest news on this subject.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, UCSF, and the Harvey V. Berneking Living Trust.

University of California - San Francisco

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

University of California - San Francisco. "The Detrimental Effects Of Inflammation Due To Intestinal Bacteria On HIV Patients." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'The Detrimental Effects Of Inflammation Due To Intestinal Bacteria On HIV Patients'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Toward A Safer Form Of Acetaminophen

Main Category: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Toward A Safer Form Of Acetaminophen

Efforts to develop a safer form of acetaminophen - the pain and fever-reducer that is one of the most widely used drugs - have led to discovery of substances that may have less potentially toxic effects on the liver. A report on the research appears in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Roman Shchepin and colleagues explain that a link exists between acetaminophen and liver damage. The damage may be severe and can occur with intentional and accidental overdoses, as well as when susceptible individuals take the drug. Indeed, acetaminophen has been implicated in almost 50 percent of all acute liver failure cases in the United States alone. Scientists have known the biochemical basis of acetaminophen's liver toxicity, and Shchepin and colleagues set out to develop safer versions of acetaminophen.

They describe the design and testing of two compounds that have a similar architecture to acetaminophen, but aren't toxic to liver cells grown in the laboratory. The researchers say that, although further testing is needed, these compounds are promising candidates for acetaminophen replacements.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our pain / anesthetics section for the latest news on this subject.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Center for Clinical Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology.

“Rational Design of Novel Pyridinol-Fused Ring Acetaminophen Analogues”ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters

American Chemical Society (ACS) July 10, 2013

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

American Chemical Society (ACS). "Toward A Safer Form Of Acetaminophen." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Toward A Safer Form Of Acetaminophen'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Upward Trend Of Fertility Halted By Rising Unemployment Rates In European Countries

Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Fertility
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Upward Trend Of Fertility Halted By Rising Unemployment Rates In European Countries

The economic crisis has put measurable pressure on birth rates in Europe over the last decade. On average, the more the unemployment rose, the greater the decrease in fertility compared to the number of children per women expected without the crisis. This is the result of a new study performed by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany. MPIDR demographers Michaela Kreyenfeld, Joshua Goldstein and Aiva Jasilioniene have just published their analysis together with Deniz Karaman Orsal of the Leuphana University, Lüneburg, in the open access journal Demographic Research (online).

The largest effect was seen in young adults. Europeans under the age of 25 have especially refrained from having children in the face of rising unemployment rates. The drop of children per woman was strongest for first births. That means, over the last decade young Europeans have particularly postponed family formation.

Whether this leads to less children throughout their life is an open question. Right now most might just intend to postpone when they have children, not if they have children. "Fertility plans can be revised more easily at younger ages than at ages where the biological limits of fertility are approaching," says MPIDR demographer Michaela Kreyenfeld. In fact, among those over 40, birth rates of first children didn't change due to rising unemployment.

If and how economic conditions influence fertility is one of the big open questions in demographic research. The new MPIDR study proves that the extent of joblessness in a contemporary European country does in fact have an effect on birth rates.

However, the strength of this connection varies since factors such as family policies and job security are different for every nation. For example, the birth rates in southern Europe are most strongly affected by higher unemployment. "This is reflective of the especially unstable job situation at the beginning of the working life in the southern countries," says demographer Kreyenfeld.

The consequences of the recession appear beginning around 2008. "The financial crisis hit Europe at a time when birth rates in many countries had just began rising again," says Michaela Kreyenfeld. The MPIDR had observed in earlier studies that the era of very low fertility in Europe had come to an end and that there had been a trend reversal from falling to increasing birth rates. "In some countries the crisis has just put a halt on the upward trend, in others birth rates actually declined," says Kreyenfeld. A noticeable setback occurred, for instance, in Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Croatia and Latvia. Spain experienced a particularly distinct change. Starting at a rate of 1.24 children per woman at the beginning of the millennium, fertility had risen every single year, reaching 1.47 in 2008. In 2009, however, the birth rate dropped to 1.40 after the unemployment rate jumped from 8.3 percent in 2008 to 11.3 percent in 2009. Spanish fertility continued falling to 1.36 in 2011 (no more recent data is available).

Formerly growing rates came to a halt in countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom and Italy. Some nations seemed to experience only weak or no effect from rising joblessness, like Russia or Lithuania. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the analysis did not yield significant results. In these countries unemployment rates did not rise much or not at all. For Germany they even fell. (Charts with birth rates and unemployment rates for all 28 countries can be found on an additional data sheet online.)

The researchers used data from 2001 to 2010 for their study (some countries up to 2011). It is possible that the negative effects of the crisis on birth rates continue.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our public health section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. "Upward Trend Of Fertility Halted By Rising Unemployment Rates In European Countries." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jul. 2013. Web.
12 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Upward Trend Of Fertility Halted By Rising Unemployment Rates In European Countries'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here